Heart Chrome
by Awesome D.T
Summary: A collection of tales of the enigmatic Miku Hatsune and the ethereal Len Kagamine across different universes. Dedicated to my friends on their birthdays with prompts from them.


**~ Author's Note ~**

**Konnichiwa, fellow Royals! This is a LenKu one-shot series I'll be starting (Yes, I'm following in the steps of Lady Soli and the enigmatic Hana) but this is dedicated to all my fellow Voca fandom friends and will be updated on THEIR birthdays with prompts from THEM.**

**But I accept prompts from my lovely reviewers too! ^_^ So don't be shy!**

**(REMEMBER: This is a LenKu series. LENXMIKU)**

**So, first up, we'll be opening with my first love and precious diamond Zhane17's birthday fic! Which is terribly late!**

**Hope you enjoy this, love~!**

**Prompt: Len is a doll-collector and Miku is a doll he bought for his sister's birthday. However his sister dies on her birthday and he tries to suicide but ultimately doesn't thinking it'll cause her soul to feel sad. But one morning, he wakes up to find Miku's been turned into a real girl.**

**(So, as you can see, Zhane gave me a whole story and I only added details. ^_^;)**

**Story 1 – Porcelain**

The small golden bell that hung over the door chimed as he quickly walked in, teeth chattering and hands freezing, even though he was clothed in the thickest of his garments he could find at the moment. He rubbed his gloved palms together to keep the heat from escaping, eyes squinting around for a heater in the antique-looking shop.

He found none.

_Looks like the shop is as antique as its wares._

The blonde ran his black woolen gloves through his mess of hair, trying to untangle the many knots they'd formed since he hadn't bothered combing it since the past – one week? - . . . . he couldn't remember. However, wincing as the roots of his once beautiful (now tangy and messy) blond hair were violently tugged at by his own, clumsy fingers, he stopped his futile attempts at trying to make his hair look at least _a little _tidy and instead settled for what he'd come to do; find a gift for his sister.

The shop, despite not having a heater, was actually quite (miraculously) warm; at least compared to the freezing temperature outside. The boy inspected the quaint looking place with a blend of curious, creeped out and amazed eyes. From the snow-covered sign outside, he'd guessed it would be an antique shop but . . . . this was more different from any shops he'd visited before.

_Are antique shops so drastically different from normal shops?_

Crockery, native and foreign, broken and in tip-top condition, small and large covered a large shelf in the right section of the place. An assortment of what seemed like various paper charms, astronomical cards and religious almanacs were placed inside a smaller bookshelf on the left. A creepy, ancient-looking wall clock, with the face of a demon as its centre, stared creepily at him from a corner on the wall.

The boy initially glared right back at it (trying to show he was not scared) but backed off when he thought he felt the demon's stare intensify.

Besides the things he mentioned before, there were also many odd quirks like large manuscripts of vellum, scrolls with stylish calligraphy, a crystal ball from which glowed an eerie, suspicious light, small figures that looked immaculately (and disturbingly) like real humans and various other commodities inhabited the place. As the boy walked deeper in, he did not notice a pair of gleaming eyes staring at him.

"AHH!" he gave a shrill scream before realizing it was only a little girl (younger than him, at least) with long, silver hair and eerily gleaming red eyes (he did not like them one bit) smiling somewhat creepily at him. However, being the polite boy he was (on the outside) he cleared his throat and enquired with a nervous smile "Ah, well, good evening. Well . . . um . ." her creepy smile did nothing to help him be friendly "I-I'm looking for a gift for my . . . sister."

_Stop smiling so fucking creepily you creep._

"Do you have anything specific in mind?" the girl's voice was low-pitched and quite clear for her age and appearance; if not for the creepy and wide smile (it literally went from her left eye to right!) she'd have looked pretty cute, dressed in that black gothic Lolita dress.

"Uh, well" he scratched his neck, looking around the place. His eyes again clashed with the creepy demon wall clock before he ripped his gaze away, again settling on the creepy, red-eyed girl (she was nicer to look at than the ugly demon clock). "Do you have any dolls?"

Something flashed through her red eyes and her grin intensified. If not for the fact that his sister's birthday was only a day away and he hadn't even bought a chocolate box to gift her, he would've made a disgusted face and took to his heels then and there. But continuously chanting, _This is for Rin. This is for Rin, _in his mind, he planted his feet firmly to the ground and stood still.

(Also, the harsh weather outside seemed to play a tiny role in making him stay).

The girl, after grinning (fucking) creepily at him for about 30 seconds, stepped out from behind the wooden desk and walked into the deeper reaches of the shop, which were dark. The boy would've originally followed her to pick a doll of his own choice but being in a dark, creepy corner of an antique shop with a girl whose smile could cause Hannibal Lector to suicide didn't seem a very bright idea to him.

_Hope she gets a nice one._

As the demon clock ticked away, the boy drummed his gloved fingers impatiently on the wooden desk, wondering when she would arrive with his doll. Looking at the creepy assortment in the place, he was worried that even the doll she'd bring would be nothing less than eerie. _But there was no other place to go to and Rin's birthday is tomorrow, _he frowned at himself, exhaling slightly under his breath. If only he hadn't been so lazy as to search for a gift at the last minute . . . . .

And why did he have to give a doll?

Well, the boy, Len Kagamine, was an avid doll-collector (don't laugh). Yes, it was a girly and embarrassing hobby but he just couldn't help his fascination for the beautiful toys! And he did not collect Barbies or Transformers figurines; he collected elegant, pretty and enigmatic Dutch Dolls.

His obsession stemmed from an introverted childhood; unlike other boys of 5, Len had always had a fascination with the part-creepy and part-cute Dutch Dolls. He'd first seen them as a wedding gift to his aunt and had begged his parents to buy him one as well. His parents were, fortunately, not the obnoxious and demanding type that wanted their son to grow up into a muscled athlete. As long as he had good grades, didn't talk back to his elders and was a gentleman, they were okay with whatever he did.

Len's train of thoughts were broken by the steady "Tip, Top, Tip, Top" of boots and squinting his blue eyes, he stared into the shadows. The first object he made out were ankle-high black boots followed by a long, black skirt and then emerged the creepy silver-haired and red-eyed girl carrying . . . . .

Len's breath hitched in his throat.

_She's beautiful._

"Something like this?" the girl asked, the creepy smile omnipresent on her face. But this time, Len paid no mind to her; he was busy admiring the beautiful doll in her arms. The girl's smile intensified as she placed the doll on the wooden table, for Len to have a better view.

A small, reserved smile occupied the fair, heart-shaped face of the Dutch Doll. A light pink, sleeveless bustle dress occupied her slender, petite frame and white, lacy gloves ran all the way to her elbows. Ankle-length pink boots with purple-lacing sewn on them adorned her feet and her vibrant, long teal hair was tied into two twin tails with frilly pink ribbons. The Doll's eyes were large and quiet; the teal orbs seemed to be full of wisdom and experience.

Len reached out a hand and patted the doll's head. Then, looking at the red-eyed girl with a smile, he said "I'll take her."

The creepy smile never having been wiped off her face, the girl gave a little courtesy and bowed "Thank you, sir. That'll be 3,520 yen." Len raised an eyebrow but nevertheless, took out his leather wallet. The girl smiled creepily at his banana stickers but he was trying hard not to look at her. _The doll's sure expensive. Oh well, it's for Rin's birthday. And besides, she is one of the most beautiful dolls I've ever seen. _

"Aren't you gonna wrap her?" Len asked, handing out the notes to the red-eyed girl.

The girl, after putting away the notes in a small, silver, jewel-studded box (Len wondered which century the owners were living in), handed him the exact change and shook her head. "Miku doesn't like being wrapped" the girl informed, taking out a basket from one of the cupboards and placing the doll carefully inside.

Len watched as the girl wrapped a small, thin blanket around the dolls figure and closed the lid. _And Rin says __**I **__treat my dolls like newborns babies . . . . _ "Miku?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he took the wooden basket from the girl.

She nodded. "Her name's Miku." As Len quickly turned to leave behind the creepy store and equally eerie girl, he heard her calling from behind "Please be sure to take her out of the basket as soon as you reach home. Miku doesn't like being confined for too long." Len momentarily paused, about to snap at her to stop acting like such a weird crony but changed his mind and just nodded shortly before opening the door and rushing out in the cold December evening again.

"Brrrrrrr" Len shivered as he wrapped his coat tighter around himself, the wooden basket swinging away on his arm "It sure is fucking cold this year." As he left the antique shop, he turned his head once to give it one last look.

He could make out the silhouette of the creepy girl waving slowly after him.

"I'm never going back there again" he murmured, wincing as a sudden cold air started blowing, almost threatening to bite off his nose. At 7:00 in a winter evening, the streets were mildly deserted with only a few people and cars outside, most of them hurrying to get back inside their warm and cozy homes. The wooden basket hung by its handle on his forearm and he was tempted to look inside and play-er, examine the doll once more but . . . .

"Why does it have to be so fucking cold?" he gritted his teeth to stop their incessant chattering and hurried down the sidewalk, eager to get home.

The Kagamine House was just a few blocks away, near the KFC branch in Saitama. Len's contorted and chattering face softened as he thought about the juicy chicken; the way they made such a satisfying crunch and the soft, soft flesh inside. _I might as well get a burger, _however, as the vicious wind increased in its speed, Len just pulled his warm coat tighter around himself and started speed-walking, hugging the wooden basket tighter to himself. "God, why does home have to be so far off?!" he grunted out loud in frustration, quickening his steps.

Soon, as time passed by and the evening only grew colder, Len crossed the KFC outlet, drool slightly seeping down his mouth and his eyes glazing over with hunger. He'd just taken two steps forward when a girl with short, brown hair, dressed in the uniform of a KFC worker, hung up a 'CLOSED' sign on the glass door. Len stopped mid-step, his eyes on the verge of watering and stuck his tongue childishly out at the outlet, puffed his cheeks up and stomped off towards home.

"What do they think of themselves?!" he humphed, stomping down the concrete road like a raging elephant. "It's only 7:30! They're supposed to be open till 9:00! Just because it's a cold evening doesn't mean that-" However, Len suddenly stopped short in the middle of the snowy road.

Police lights.

A large crowd.

_Why are they gathered in front of my house?_

Len broke into a small run, the basket swinging wildly on his arm. His quickened breaths came out in puffs due to the cold air, his cheeks and nose painted red due to the frost. People dressed in their warm coats, mufflers and jackets were at the front entrance of his house and the blond saw that three police cars were there as well. A tall officer and a female officer seemed to be questioning the mob.

A girl with wild, short green hair, dressed in a baggy orange sweater, seemed to be answering most of the police's questions. Len's blue eyes widened when he saw Gumi Megpoid – his neighbor and a very close friend of Rin's . . . . _Rin! _His run quickened as his heart hammered quite violently in his ribcage. Rin . . . . Where was Rin?! _Where is Rin?! _Rin had been at home . . . . . . .

Why isn't she outside with Gumi?

"Gumi! GUMI!" Len shouted, as he was finally at the house. The mob departed to make way for the panting and agitated blond and Gumi slowly turned to look at him, tear marks on her cheeks and her green eyes frightened, bloodshot and puffy.

_Funny. Gumi never cries . . . . . _

"Excuse me, sir" the tall officer, a man as tall as a professional basketball player and with a police cap pulled down on his neat, dark blue hair turned towards Len. The blond immediately started. "Are you Kagamine Len?"

_Why? _"Y-Yes, I'm Kagamine Len . . . . . what happened here?" he asked in a scared and low voice, breathing quick and in short gasps. The dark-haired officer bit his lip nervously and exchanged glances with the pink-haired female officer who looked down and slowly nodded. _I want answers, dammit! _"What happened?" Len asked in a louder, clearer and more stable voice.

"Well, sir-"

"LENNNN!" Gumi suddenly burst out crying as she buried her face in his chest, damp tears soaking Len's coat. The mob burst into low murmurs, exchanging nervous glances and looking down when Len stared at them with a pleading, questioning gaze. The officers stood still, not knowing what to do. The only thing that filled the air was Gumi's loud, hiccupped sobs and Len's agitated breathing. "Len" Gumi croaked in a horse voice as she turned up to look at Len with a snot-dripping nose "Rin . . . she . . . . she . . ."

Len did not wait for her to say more as he burst into the open door of his house, the officers calling "Sir! Kagamine-san! Sir, wait!"

Officers inside the three-storied house were shocked to see a blond teenager run in, his quick feet darting from the living room to the kitchen to the storage. However, when a sudden thought took hold of him, he rushed up the stairs, on the first floor where Rin's room was located. Loud, murmuring voices could be heard and the door to her room was open, figures clothed in police uniforms inside . . . .

_Rin?_

Blood covered the walls and floor of the once cheerful, orange-wallpapered room. Her study desk and chair were toppled over, the pretty snow-globe she used to be so fond of lay crashed on the floor. Her books lay ripped apart and torn, covered with smears of the dark, crimson liquid.

"Boy" a gruff, bellowing officer as hairy as a wolf firmly took hold of the blond's shoulders, pushing him out of the room "This is a police investigation scene. You cannot enter." The officers from before came running up the stairs at the exact moment, staring at Len with worried eyes.

"Kagamine-kun" the female officer spoke in a polite voice, tossing her long, braided hair behind her "Please don't . . . . don't look."

Len, struggling desperately to free himself of the hairy officer's grasp, became motionless when the tall officer and the female officer walked inside his room, the former holding a white sheet in his hands. He quickly stared towards Rin's bed . . . . .

The basket holding the doll he'd bought for her dropped to the floor, Miku tumbling out of it.

His sister's – his lovely, cheerful, sweet sister's – lifeless cyan orbs stared back at him from her unmoving body, the pretty color of red having stained her entire figure. Her hands lay beside her head, fingers crooked and the pretty, white sweater dress she'd been wearing when Len had left was now tainted beyond recognition, very well passing off as a red-colored dress. Her short, blonde locks were matted with blood but before Len could take in anything else, a white sheet was thrown over her body.

Anguished cries and hysterical screams were the only sounds the blond could utter for two days after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He found the sound of machine beeps to be quite comforting. Maybe because he'd been hearing them for the past three days . . . . or was it four?

"How're you feeling now?" a middle-aged woman with extremely long and wavy blonde hair sat beside Len's bed, her soft hands holding Len's bandaged ones. The lady's blue eyes were creased in worry and anxiousness for the teenage blond in front of her – which wasn't surprising considering the fact that he'd tried to take his life yesterday. For the third time.

Len blankly stared at the white wall in front of him, his cyan eyes empty and dull, the void in them illuminated by the deep purple circles under his eyes. He wanted to move his hand away from within his aunt's grasp but seeing as she was the only living family member he respected and loved, he decided against it. "Normal" was the short reply he muttered, pale lips almost unmoving.

The lady nodded as she sighed under her breath, throwing a glance at the pale orange-hued sunlight that streamed in through the light pink curtains of the hospital room. It would soon be evening and her kids were going to start bawling for dinner. She prepared to get up but remembrance of a forgotten delivery popped in her brain and she turned to the large plastic bag she was carrying. Putting her thin arms inside, she took out a medium-sized object the police had requested to be delivered to Len Kagamine.

"Len?" the blond slowly turned his head towards his aunt – only for his blue eyes to widen and jaw to drop open. How could he have . . . . . forgotten her? "This is yours, isn't it?" the lady asked, holding a beautifully dressed and ethereal Dutch Doll in her arms. The boy gulped as he nodded weakly, opening his arms to accept the Doll from his aunt's hands.

"Thanks, Aunt Mayu" the boy muttered as he gently placed Miku on his lap, her bright, life-like teal eyes staring at him from under those beautifully long and thick lashes. He noticed his aunt nod from the corner of his eyes and the scraping of a chair against the tiled floor was heard, as his aunt got up to take her leave.

"Take care, Len" Mayu muttered, her sneakers making dull taps across the marble floor. The blond smiled weakly and waved slowly after her, his bony hand dropping to his side after the door to his room closed, leaving him alone with Miku.

Len continued staring at the Doll for a few minutes, wandering what it would be like if she was real. She would've sure made for an unnaturally beautiful girl – like Aphrodite. But realizing that what he was musing upon was something along the lines of abnormal and creepy, he set the doll on the right side of his bed and took out a few sleeping pills from under his bed. Looking around to make sure no one was coming, Len picked up a glass of water from beside his bed and popping four tablets inside his mouth, chugged down all of the water before placing the glass back on the table.

Soon, very soon, he'd be with Rin again. The thought made a sad smile come to his face as he felt his consciousness leaving him, leaving his soul to visit the realm of the Spirits. His hand dropped limply to his sides as he fell back on the bed with a soft thud, his eyes slowly closing. Too bad he couldn't give his friends a proper goodbye – but seeing Rin again was far more important than that. And he was going to visit her. This time, nothing could stop his ambition.

As Len slowly drifted off, darkness surrounding the corners of his iris and pupils, he thought he felt something silky rustle under her right arm.

And just before he walked into the arms of unconsciousness, he felt a presence staring at him.

**~~x~~**

**To be continued . . . . . **


End file.
